PolarBear Dog
by oreocreampie
Summary: Mako takes Naga out for a walk in the South Pole when she hears a distant howling and runs away from him. While trying to find him, Mako comes face to face with a pack of polar bear dogs.
1. Chapter 1

inspired by this pic

Please Read and Review!

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Mako's POV:

_Alright, this can't be too hard. I just need to find Naga before Korra realizes she's gone. How hard can it be to find a giant animal in the South Pole? Korra said Naga was the only tamed Polar bear dog, finding her will be a piece of cake_.

Mako took Naga out for a stroll in the afternoon while Korra, Bolin, and Asami were preparing for the lantern festival. Usually Bo or Korra would take care of Naga, but Korra wanted Naga to bond more with Mako, and Mako couldn't say 'no' to Korra's pout. Everything was going fine while Mako and Naga were riding along the frozen tundra. It was two hours into their walk when Mako noticed the sky turning pink, the sun setting and disappearing below the horizon. The duo decided to turn and head back. It was at that moment when Mako heard a howl not too far away, a mile the very least. Before he knew it, Naga rose up onto her hind legs, causing Mako to fall off and into the snow. When he recovered, he already saw Naga sprinting off in the direction of the howl.

"Naga! Come back!" Mako screamed, yelling at her retreating form. He screamed for her again, but it was no use, she was disappearing into the mountains, blending in with the snow.

Korra cared very much for Naga and Naga cared very much for Korra and her friends. Mako couldn't return without her. So he set off towards the direction opposite of their return route, the direction where he heard the howl. Luckily Naga's footprints where very distinct, two deep small paw prints trailing behind two larger bear claw prints. After half an hour of walking, Mako covered two miles worth of distance, but still there was no sign of Naga. Mako called her name many times, but each time he was not greeted with an answer.

"Naga! Where are you?!" Mako breathed deeply, trying to consume as much air as his lungs could hold and yelled again. "Naga!"

Korra was probably worried since they weren't back yet. She instructed them to be back before the sun set. The only source of light Mako had was from the moon, which shined very brightly, reflecting off the ice of the of landscape. Mako heard another howl, much closer than before and trudged on. Naga's foot prints were still apparent, though some have been blow away, Mako could follow them for the most part. It was when he reached the ice valley between two mountains where the tracks disappeared. Mako was very worried, Naga had been apart from him for too long. She was an excellent tracker, she should have found him by now. Yet, she was no where in sight and signs of her existence were gone.

Mako closed his eyes, trying to focus. _Okay, Mako. Don't panic. Naga is more suited than I am for this place, she's probably already back at the village. It's been an hour since I saw her. Naga would have found me by now, or sought to find Korra or Bo._ As he was collecting his thoughts, Mako's ears picked up the sound of snow crunching—and it was much too close. His eyes shot open to see that his shadow was nor longer visible in front of him. Rather, much larger ones overshadowed him as he looked up to the cliff of the mountain. There, standing at the edge casting his stare down at Mako, was a wild bear dog. Flanking it were two more. All of them were the same size as Naga, if not larger.

_Spirits! What do I do?! Naga is tamed, but these are wild polar bear dogs! Okay, think Mako, don't panic. What do you know about wild polar bear dogs? Absolutely nothing…. What do you know about dogs?_ Mako's brain was drawing a blank. _ Think! Think! Think! What do you know about dogs?...If you break eye contact with them, they'll find it submissive and attack. Yeah! _Mako didn't break eye contact with the leader of the pack. Though he was shaking from both fear and cold, Mako was determined to make it out of this alive. The air between Mako and the polar bear dogs was strained. The teeth of the animals were showing as Mako heard them growl. Their lips stretched open to show their incredibly sized razor-sharp fangs. There was another sound from behind that broke Mako's focus as he turned around. When Mako looked back up at the cliff, the polar bear dogs were gone. Panicking, Mako spun on his heel and ran for his life back towards the village. It was a lot of ground to cover, but Mako's life depended on his survival instincts to run. Not long after he started running, Mako could hear the barks of the opposing threat closing in on him. He knew he wasn't going to make it running, so Mako turned and took his stance. The polar bear dogs stopped their movements about twelve feet away. After a sharp bark from the leader, the polar bear dog in his left flank sprinted forward towards Mako. Mako uppercutted his fist towards the beast, releasing a strong comet-like attack. The beast's coat was set aflame. It retreated, trying to escape the burning embers on its body as it was screaming from the pain. The other two remained in their positions. A feral look crept onto the leader's face. Without warning or bark, the other two made a beeline for Mako. The remaining subordinate bear dog tried to swipe at Mako's head. Mako was able to dodge it, but made himself vulnerable to the leader of the pack. Mako propelled himself backwards, firebending jets off his feet, but the leader leapt up high and swiped its massive claws at Mako's chest. Its claws tore through his parka, letting his exposed flesh chill in the cold air. Mako screamed out in pain as he fell into the snow, seeing the blood contaminate the pure white color of the snow. Blood began radiating from where the beast scratched him. Mako's hand automatically went to staunch his wound as the other threw fists of fire at the remaining two polar bear dogs. Mako managed to get his opponents at mid to far distances, but they were constantly coming at him in different attack patterns. They were getting closer and Mako was growing more faint from the lost of blood._ My best bet is to take one out after another. Taking them both one won't do. _While formulating this new plan the leader leapt forward, jumping over Mako's wave of fire he sent at its direction. Mako's eyes opened wider with terror as he saw that the beast's body was about to crash into him.

With his last moments, Mako's life did not flash before his eyes. Instead, he saw a memory of Bolin, Korra, and himself in their practice uniforms for probending. They were all laughing together while they were training. They were all happy. Mako squeezed his eyes shut and shied his head away under his arms as he ducked down into the snow, making a last attempt to save his life. _I'm sorry guys._

Korra's POV:

"There, that's the last one. We're done!" Korra claimed as she airbended herself off the ladder, gently landing in the show. Team Avatar 2.0 was hanging lanterns for the traditional Southern Water Tribe Lantern Festival. Korra and the airbabies were in charge of hanging the lanterns while Bolin and Asami retrieved the lanterns for them to hang. It was a rather fast job since they Korra and the kids used their airbending. They finished as the sun was setting.

"Look at it, it's breathtaking," Asami responded as she helped Bolin gather the rest of the supplies.

"I'm so glad you guys are here this year. This is my favorite Southern Water Tribe festival. Wait until the sun is completely down, then you'll see how beautiful the lights will look." Korra said with a smile. Her mind and heart were completely lost in the festival lights. She always thought the lanterns were stunning. This year, however, was especially important for Korra. It was the first year she got to see the lanterns with Mako, her boyfriend. It's a romantic atmosphere, and sharing it with your significant other is supposed to bring good fortune. Thinking about her boyfriend, Korra was going to go back to Naga's stable to find them.

"I'm going to go get Mako and Naga, I'll see you guys in a bit." Korra said her farewells and went back to her house. She sun as just barely over the horizon when she arrived, hoping to find her best friend and boyfriend. To her disappointment, Mako and Naga weren't back yet, but Korra didn't let that sour her mood. She was too excited to let a bit of waiting time get her down. As the sky turned from an orange pink into a dark blue, Korra began to worry. She had specifically told Mako to be back before the sun was going to set. _Where are they? I really want to get back to the village before the festival starts! Mako better have a good reason for making me wait this long._ Pulling her from her mental scolding, Korra heard a distinct howl. One she heard only one time before—when she tamed Naga into becoming her animal guide. Polar bear dogs didn't normally venture into hearing distance of the village. _Could that be Naga? Did something happen to Mako and Naga? _Without another thought, Korra grabbed a snow-sailer and headed for the wilderness.

As Korra was bending the air into the sailer, she wasn't sure where to go. She shot off in the general direction of the sound, but pin pointing it was going to be difficult. She decided to head towards the icy valleys, that's where polar bear dogs take shelter. Korra was reassured in her choice of direction when she heard another two howls, each getting closer. By the time she heard another sound, she was at the valley, but not a soul was in sight. The last sound she heard, however, wasn't a howl, it was a scream of pain. Korra panicked because she recognized that agonizing sound—it was Mako. "Mako! Mako, where are you!" From the corner of her eye, Korra caught a warm glow of orange light reflecting of the side of the cliff. She ditched her sailer and airbended herself to the other side of the cliff. She saw Mako, wounded with blood trailing from his cut. He was fighting off two wild polar bear dogs with firebending. As Korra neared Mako, he saw a polar bear dog pounce at his fetal form. The words left her breathless before she even knew she yelled them.

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I'm not much of an editor/writer, but i tried haha. Anyways, hope it was enjoyable, if not... whoops. Please read and review!


	2. Chapter 2

Feedback and constructive criticism is always encouraged! Please read, review, and enjoy :]

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Mako's POV:

Someone yelled his name. It was evident that whoever was yelling was frightened and desperate. Before Mako could pick up his head to see where the sound came from, his body was hit by an invisible force, throwing his body far away from its attacker. Mako noticed how suddenly cold it had gotten since he and Naga got separated. His has been out here for a while now, and his parka had a hole in it. Mako didn't even get a chance to recover when a set of warm arms starting dragging his body off the snow. "Mako we need to get out of here, now!" Mako recognized that voice, it was his savior—Korra. Mako allowed himself to smile for a brief moment before he tried to scramble to his feet. Mako got up, but immediately fell back down—he has lost too much blood. "Mako! You need to get up! Mako, can you hear me?"

_That sweet voice. It belongs to Korra. Why does she sound so scared? Spirits, a voice like that shouldn't be laced with distress. Korra doesn't do well with that, she's going to stress herself out. _Mako's eyes fluttered closed as the darkness engulfed him. He just wanted to feel warm again. The last thing he heard was Korra screaming his name.

When Mako peeled back his eyelids, he was met with little light. He tried to sit up as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.  
"You're awake." It was more of a question than a statement. Nevertheless, it caught him off guard. _It was Korra, and she's been here while I was asleep._ _Why was I unconscious? Did something happen?_ As he sat up against the wall, Mako's chest objected. His hand reached for his chest and realized he was wearing a parka that was wet and much thicker. He smelled the wet spot and his nose wrinkled as he identified the substance. It was blood. _That's right, I was attacked by wild polar bear dogs._ As his mind remembered what happened before he blacked out, he surveyed his surroundings and saw that he was in an ice cave.

"Korra? What- what happened? How did we end up here?" Mako asked as he tried to see into the dark and find her.

"I don't know exactly what happened when you were hurt, but when I got to you, you fainted from blood loss. You were fighting two polar bear dogs. You couldn't run, so I had to bend the ice around us and seal us off away from the two polar bear dogs. After that, I began to dig under ground and carried you to this cave when I reached the surface again." As Mako was listening to Korra's reiteration of the story, he noticed that the outline of her body was shaking. Mako may not have been able to see Korra's features, but she could tell Korra was shivering. He looked down at himself and saw that he was wearing her parka.

"Why am I wearing your parka?" Mako said as he stripped it off and tried to return it to her.  
"No, keep it. You lost a lot of blood, your body was so cold."

"I'm fine now, please take it, you'll freeze."

The two pushed her parka back and forth, but neither was giving in. Eventually, Mako's wound got the better of him and he took his shirt off to inspect the wound. The cut was rather deep, and a lot of blood dripped below it. Mako winced as he probed the skin around his wound. The sound of a sharp intake of breath caught his attention. Korra's lips were pressed into a hard line, tears were building up in her eyes.

"I'm okay, Korra. I think it's starting to scab." Korra just shook her head as she slid over to kneel in front of Mako. Mako's face was a few inches from her's. He could just make out the worry in her eyes, the hurt his wound is causing her. "Korra, don't worry… I'm fine, really."

Korra's tears pooled over her eyes and trailed down her face. She was thankful that it was too dark for Mako to see. She attempted to stifle her sobs as she motioned her arms to the side. As she pulled her arms back in front of her, Mako felt an icy cold patch under her touch. She inched forward until her palms were flat against his cut. Mako held his breath, hiding his discomfort from the cold that flooded his injury. The source of the cold suddenly turned warm as it began to glow. Mako could feel the flow of blood slow down towards his injury. He could feel the muscles underneath reconnect with one another as he saw Korra's hands hovering over his chest. Mako looked up from Korra's hands into her eyes. It was only then that Mako was able to see that Korra was crying. Her eyes were closed, but her tears were still streaming down her face. Mako saw that Korra had minor cuts on her face, a few on her arms. His heart began to ache. This is what Korra must have felt when she saw Mako's injuries. Rather than say anything, Mako gently kissed the tip of her nose. Then he kissed the spots under her eyes, making her tears cease from falling. As Korra sealed his skin, Mako's lips have reached down to her's. Korra felt his fingertips brushing up her arms as her's wrapped around to his back. Mako leaned into her embrace, placing his lips by her ear and whispered.

"Thank you Korra, you saved me." Mako then reached behind his back and pushed Korra's arms away from his waist. Korra was confused as Mako placed her hand on her face.  
"I'm healed and all better. So, please, heal yourself." Korra let out a small chuckle as Mako lit a flame in his hands. With the new light, he could truly see how much damage Korra really sustained. Though her cuts were shallow, there were much more numerous. There were three slices on her arms, two on her left and one on her right. And one cut on each side of her face. Mako opened his mouth about to scream when Korra lunged for his arm, causing the flame in it to extinguish.

"Don't light another flame." Korra said in a quick whisper, "You'll attract the polar bear dogs back here." Mako only nodded and urged Korra to heal herself. After she finished healing her cuts, Mako returned her parka to her, claiming that he was no longer cold and that she was still shivering. As soon as she put her parka on, Mako pulled Korra towards him, letting him sit with her back towards him as he embraced her from behind.

"There, now we can both be a bit warmer." Mako said as he snuggled his face into Korra's shoulder. His face felt rugged in her neck, but he was here, alive. And that's what mattered.

Korra sighed. If Mako could act like this, he must be feeling better.

"We need to get out of here soon." Mako said as Korra further settled into his body.

"I left my snow-sailer about half a mile from here, I'm sure it's still here."

"You came here on a snow-sailer? I thought only sand benders used that sort of thing."  
"They do, but I didn't have Naga with me. Naga! Mako, where is Naga?" Korra's heart rate sped up, Mako could feel it as she spoke of her best friend. Feeling like she wasn't going to get an answer, Korra turned around in his embrace and asked him again. "Mako, where is Naga? And why were you being attacked? Don't you know that Naga is the one and ONLY tamed polar bear dog? I know she seems friendly and all, but wild polar bear dogs are extremely dangerous!"

Mako shook his head, trying to figure out how to tell Korra what happened, though he couldn't quite figure it out himself. He took a deep breath, and began to fill Korra in on what she missed.

"Naga and I were about to head back from our walk when there was a howl in the distance. Then, out of nowhere, she jumped up and I fell off. Before I knew it, Naga sprinted away towards the sound. I followed her tracks until the snow disappeared into ice. Then, a pack of polar bear dogs showed up. I heard something nearby, it wasn't a howl. But whatever it was, you could tell whatever made the sound was in trouble. I …. I think, it might have been Naga, but it sounded… human? It reminded me of Naga… the sound was connected with her…"

Mako contemplated the sound for a moment before continuing.

"I turned my head for a second and when I looked back, the pack was gone. I immediately ran away but they were too fast, so I thought the best chance I would have was to fight them off. I managed to take on one, but the other two were too much. One of them clawed me pretty good and I started to faint. When the final blow was about to hit, something threw me out of the way. When I opened my eyes again, you were there, telling me to get up. That's all I remember and then I think I blacked out."

Mako waited for Korra to respond. When it looked like she wasn't going to, he spoke up again.

"Korra…. I'm really sorry. I don't know what happened. One moment we were having a good time running in the snow, the next, she was running off without me. But I promise you, I'll get her back. Naga is smart and strong, I'll find her and bring her-"

"It's not her I'm worried about." Korra cut in. "It's you." Korra's tone turned hard as she began to speak faster. "Naga grew up in the South Pole, I know she can take care of herself. But you? A City Boy? You were almost killed! Polar bear dogs are something to be afraid of, that is why I'm not afraid for Naga. But you! You had me worried sick. That sound you were talking about, that was me! I was screaming for you because I couldn't find you!" Korra's voice broke as she huddled away from Mako, hiding her face into her knees. Mako was shocked, he had no idea Korra was still worrying about him. Maybe before, but now? He was healed and here. Naga was still missing and for spirits sake, who knows why she went running off?

"…Korra? Korra I'm here. In one piece… thanks to you." Korra didn't pick up her head when she spoke again. "I was so scared I wouldn't be able to get to you in time. I shot air at you to get you out of the way. I… I don't know what I would have done if I lost you back there. Mako, please. Just- just don't do that to me. Don't leave me." Korra felt herself being lifted into his lap, his lips at her ears.

"Hey there. Don't talk like that. I won't leave you. Remember when Tarrlok took you? I swore to myself that day that I would never leave you alone without anyone I trust around. But I figured if you're in your kingdom here, nothing could happen to you. You're surround but snow and ice. I- I…. I didn't think about how anything could happen to me… I'm sorry. I won't leave you, I promise."

Korra looked up and raised her right hand to his face. She cupped his left cheek and began rubbing circles on his cheekbone. She felt something rough, and then, crusty.

"Looks like I missed that one." Korra sighed and began healing his face wound.

Mako chuckled dryly, "I didn't even know I had that one."

After Korra healed him, she pulled him up. "Let's get back, the other's are probably worried."

"Okay. And listen Korra, I truly am sorry. I know what it feels like… not knowing. I'm sorry, and I'm glad you're okay." Mako dipped his head and lightly brushed his lips against Korra's. He took her hand and led her out of the cave.

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Hmmm... i think im going to write one more chapter, just so i get the closure i need lol. and it'll probably be fluffy...

anyways, hope you liked it, please read and review!


	3. Chapter 3

Short and Fluffy. Please Read and Review! Enjoy :D

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By the time they got back to the village, it was past midnight and the lantern festival was over. Everyone has retreated back into their respective living spaces and turned in for the night.

"It's a shame we missed the festival." Mako said as they approached the village.

"Yeah… I was really looking forward to it too." Korra said, defeated. Her pout was emerging from her lips.

"Ahh, I know how much you wanted to go. I'm sorry we missed it."

"It's okay, I've seen it before, I just… I just wanted to share it with you. That's all."

Mako was ashamed. Korra spent all afternoon preparing to share this special viewing of the Southern Lights with him, and he let her down. It hit her so close to home, Mako was tearing himself up on the inside. He looked at the dull lanterns. They were still hung up; they were just unlit. It was then that Mako got an idea.

Mako stopped walking as they approached the center of the village. "Close your eyes." Mako commanded, "and no peeking."

Korra turned to her boyfriend, confused. "What? Why?"

"Just trust me on this. I'll be by your side the entire time. Please, close your eyes."

After staring him down for a minute, Korra obeyed. When he was done double-checking that her eyes were closed, Mako spotted all the places where the lanterns were and planned his attack. With a deep breath, he performed a bunch of fire bending combinations and lit the lanterns one by one. He rolled across the snow and kicked his feet into the air to light the last two that were at a steeper angle. After he completely lit all the lanterns, he returned to Korra's side. Korra could sense that there was light; it shined through her eyelids. As a smile crept up on her face, she felt Mako's arm wrap around her waist when he returned.

"Okay, now open them." Korra's eyelids slid up and her eyes began taking in the sight before her. The lanterns were all lit and her and Mako were at the center of it all. The brightness of the lights made your pupils hurt, but after a second of discomfort a wide grin spread across Korra's cheeks. She was smiling like an idiot, but she didn't care. Korra spun around to see everything. The warm glow of the lanterns didn't twinkle, they were emulating rays like the sun. After surveying the scene before her, Korra turned to her boyfriend with her goofy grin. She got up on her tip toes and pressed her lips to his, only their lips touching. Mako sighed into their tender kiss and pulled back with a smirk.

"Thank you Mako. It's stunning. And I think I like it better like this, just the two of us." Korra said as she wound her arms around her boyfriend. Mako automatically hugged Korra back, unable to wipe the smile from his face.

"You're very welcome. And I like it like this too. It's like our own getaway. And that's not even the most beautiful part of it."

"Oh? And do tell me, what is the most beautiful part of it?"

"I get to do this!" Mako exclaimed. He turned Korra's upper body around causing her to lean back as he dipped her body, supporting her weight in his arms as one of her legs flew up. It was like the two were swing dancing or something. Mako then smiled at Korra's surprise at being dipped and kissed her with has much gratitude he had. He had the girl of his dreams in the most romantic atmosphere in her hometown all to himself.

Both Mako and Korra deepened the kiss. It was set up to be one that sent sparks flying. In fact, they were so lost into the kiss they failed to hear the approaching sound of footprints. Before the two new it, they were being lathered in warm, heavy saliva. Mako almost dropped Korra, but she was also supported by his knee. The two broke away from their kiss and saw the one and only Naga. Naga was back, without a single scratch on her.

"Naga!" Korra and Mako both yelled as they hugged her, snuggling their faces into her warm fur. The polar bear barked once in joy and licked each of them once more.

"Naga, do you have any idea how much trouble you caused Mako? I told you to take care of him, not to go find yourself a boyfriend!" Mako knew Naga couldn't exactly understand Korra, but it looks like she knew precisely why Korra was upset. _Wait, did she just say boyfriend_?

"Uh, Korra. Correct me if I'm wrong, but did I hear you just say boyfriend?"

"Oh, yeah." Korra admitted, almost blushing. "That howl you heard, it was a mating call… That's why Naga ran off. Her innate instincts you know?"

"Her-Her what? How could you possibly know that?"

"It's how I found Naga. The mother of Naga went off after she heard that same howl. I saw it happen and got scared, but Naga sniffed me out. I bended the snow around her feet to stop her, but she was too strong. I used some fire too, but at 6 years old, it wasn't that much fire. I guess Naga was amused because followed me home when it was clear that she wasn't going to hurt me. That's how I am the only one to ever tame a polar bear dog."

The only thing Mako could say was "Oh."

"Come on, City Boy. It's not that out of the blue."

"You're telling me that taming a wild polar bear dog, one of the most dangerous creatures in the world, at the age of 6 is not so out of the blue?! Especially since it must have looked like Naga was kidnapped? Aren't moms crazy about their cubs?"

"Well yes, but Naga left for me, I didn't make her. And plus, we bonded, growing up together." Korra was amused by her boyfriend's befuddlement, it was kind of adorable.

"Now you know that even as a child, I was pretty kick ass." Korra purred with a wink before catching her boyfriend's lips in a surprise kiss. Almost completely forgetting his awe, Mako melted into the kiss. It all gooey and passionate and stuff until they were interrupted by Naga scooping them up and running back home.

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AND there's my attempt at fluff. lol, this is the end of this story. Please Read and Review!


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